Craft Butchery

LOCATION:

Onsite at Westside Hospitality Centre

CERTIFICATION:

• QQI Level 5 Certificate in Butchery.

INTRODUCTION:

The Craft Butchery Apprenticeship is run by Cork College of FET in collaboration with Mayo Sligo Leitrim ETB (MSLETB).

A butcher’s job involves carefully preparing meat. As a butcher, you will have the skills for ‘shaping’, ‘lacing’, and ‘tying’ roasts using boning knives, skewers, and twine. You will also have the ability to wrap, weigh, label and price cuts of meat. Butchers are also skilled placing cuts and products in display counters, so they appear attractive and catch the shopper’s eye.

WHAT SKILLS WILL I LEARN?

When you finish your butchery apprenticeship you will be able to:

• Confidently prepare and work with a range of meat & meat products.
• Demonstrate the principles of butchery; including the selection, procurement, provenance and handling of livestock leading to welfare and associated lairage and slaughter practices.
• Carry out a range of butchery skills involving the use of steak and boning knives, hand saws, cleavers, banding needles and other relevant hand tools used in the process of primal cutting, boning, slicing, dicing, rolling, trimming and filleting.
• Produce meat and/or poultry products (as required) such as sausages/pies.
• Cut, prepare, package and present meat products to the needs, standards and quality driven by evolving tastes and trends within the sector.
• Be confident with general business and customer service skills Prove full awareness and adherence to health and safety regulations.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS:

All apprentices must be at least 16 years of age.

Minimum educational requirement is:

A QQI level 3 qualification OR a minimum of 12 months experience in a butcher trade.

HOW DO I BECOME AN APPRENTICE?

To become an apprentice you must first be hired by an employer. Your employer must be approved by SOLAS. As an apprentice you have a formal contract of employment. You can search for apprenticeship job vacancies on www.apprenticeship.ie. You can find out more tips about how to get and apprenticeship HERE.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES:

Upon successful completion of the apprenticeship, you will be a fully qualified craftsperson. You may progress onto further education within a Technological University or University. Many apprentices go on to open their own business.